Hand operated printing press



' Feb. '20, 1940. J R, sw@ ET L 2,190,740

HAND OPERATED PRINTING PRESS Filed Dec. 1, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb.zo,` 1940. J. R. wm Ew, 2,190,740

H'AND OPERATED PRINTING PRESS Filed Dec. 1.. 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2sibilities in use.

Patented Fe. 20, 1940 y PATENT oFFiCE y2,190,740 HAND organen PRINTINGPRESS `Fustin R. Swift and Roy W.' Itedin, Chicago, Ill. ApplicationDecember 1, 193s, serial No. 243,312

Our invention relates to a hand operated printing press of the cylindertype. It is designed primarily for juvenile use as a toy, in homes,playrooms, and the he, but may beused by schools,

organizations and other places where shorty no, tices are to beprinted.` V Another object of our invention is the provision .of a handoperated printing press which is extremely simple in construction, easyand simple to operate, and so designed that various setups of type canbe employed and miscellaneous and sundry compositions printed. The presscan be manufactured and sold very cheaply to meet the demand of users insmall places such as restaurants for printing menus, schools forprinting announcements, and in various `comloinations (of` work forsmall organizations, as well as a toy which is both educational andinstructive in the `art ci printing.

Another and further object of our invention is `the provisionof aprinting press in which type bars are removablysecured to the cylinderVso that type may be set up in the type bars and type having varioussizes .of printing face. used, or rubber dies having illustrationsappearing thereon may be used, as may be desired, so that at-` tractiveeffects can be produced byproper sizes of type and the spacingandarrangement of the `)oars and the likein connection with the operationof the press.

Another and further object of 'our invention is apress in which paperand other material of varyingthickness canl be used, the press workingequally Well with thin tissue as Well as heavy cardboard.

Another and further object is a simple print-` ing press in which colorruns may be made either by changing the ink pad on the inking roller orby removing the inking roller and substituting a new roller thereforcarrying a 'diierent .color inking pad.

Another and further object of the invention is the provision of a presshaving a cylinder calibrated so lthat the makeup can be laid out toscale and the material planned in various attractive setups, or almostany kind of a setup may be used as the device prints'a line at a time,so that the device presents almost limitless pos- Another and furtherobject of our invention is Athe provision of a small hand operated presswhich is effective and simple in operation, which is accurate, and inwhich varied compositions ,may be used if desired, and which has asimple Vframe for the press.

(Cl.y lOl- 216) thereon is accomplished inan attractive and desirablemanner and the paper smoothed out and held ina taut and smoothpositionwhile it is being` fed through the press.

These and other objects of our invention will be more full;7 and betterunderstood by reference to the accompanying sheets of drawings, and inWhich-,-4

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of ourirn-" `proved press;

`Figure 2 is a top plan View of the press shown .Online 4--4 of Figure2;

Figure 5 isa side elevational view of the press of the side oppositethat shown in Figure 1;`

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional View on line 6--6 of Figure 4; v

Figure 7 isl a transverse sectional view on lin 'l-l of Figure 6; y yFigure 8 is a sectionalview showing a modified vform of type with wideface; and

Figure 9 is a sectional view showing the use of a mat' such as rubber orthe like, carrying pictures or other insignia, secured to the faces ofslugs which may `loe used, if desired.

Referring nowspeoically to the drawings, and in which like referencecharacters refer to `like parts throughout, side members lil and Il areprovided which form the main portion of the Each ofthese side membershas a base portion I2 which rests upon a table or any other level placeto support the press,v and upwardly extending, integrally formedextensions I3, `I3 upon which some Lof` the .operating parts of ithepress are mounted. A front plate it is `provided which has ears I5, `Itthereon on each side through which hollow rivets I6, It are insertedwhich pass through the side members -Ill and I I, respectively, withstruckout upstanding portions il, I'Iat each sidethereof on the uppervface which formguidesrfor the paper as it passes.

into the printing press, as hereinafter described. A rear plate I8 isprovidedwhioh has ears I9,

each of the side frames IO and I I, providing the frame at the rearportion thereof with supporting means for the' paper, and also servingwith the side members Il] and I fI and the front plate I4 to form acomplete supporting frame for the press. It will be noted that theffiontplate Iii and the rear plate I8 are curved `downward to `conform `to thecontour of the endsof each of theside vi9 ateach side thereof andthroughwhich hol- AloW rivets 20, `2() pass, which also pass through 'theprinting operation,

members l@ and il and thus provide a neat appearing and suitable bedupon which the paper is received for printing and upon .which the paperis received after it passes through the printing press. The rear platei8 has struckup portions 2i, i which serve as side guides for the paperafter it passes through the press and while the printing operation isbeing performed thereon, in order to hold it in proper alignment withthe printing press.`

A printing cylinder 22 is provided, mounted upon an axle 23 whichextends through and is mounted in the side frame members lil and Il andwhich is bent at one end into a crank portion 2li to be grasped by theOperator in order to rotate the cylinder. The cylinder is mounted infixed relation upon the axle 23 so that as the axle 23 is rotated thecylinder also is turned. Mounted on the cylinder 22 at each end thereof`are tires 25, 25 preferably made or" rubber or of other similarsubstance, which are held onto the cylinder by their elasticity andbecause of their shape and form perform five functions: First, means forholding the type bars in position .upon the cylinder second, frictionalmeans for causing the rotation of the ink roller and impression roller;third, the spreading and holding of the paper as it passes between thecylinderand the pressure roller so that it is held in smooth positionwhile being printed; fourth, the tires are so constructed that movement`of the cylinder is conveyed to the ink roller and impression roller andthey are rotated only during the printing operation; and fifth, thetires have tread portions thereon the ends of which form stops for thepaper placed in the press so that printing is properly placed on thepaper.

The tires 25, 25 have treads 2S, 26 thereon which extend substantiallythree-quarters of the way around the tires and terminate abruptlyforming shoulder portions at each end of the tread i portions, one setof which forms a stop for the Ipaper inserted in the press at thebeginning of Ythe printing operation. The outer peripheries of thesetreads 26 have ribs 2l, 2l thereon extending circumferentially thereof,these ribs being formed with vertical faces on their outer sides andinclined faceson their inner sides extending outward to their edgeswhich engage the paper as it passes beneath the printing cylinder whenthis cylinder is rotated and exert a lateral pull on the paper so as tohold it fiat and taut during thereby preventing wrinkling of the paperand holding it in smooth position while the printing operation is beingperformed. As the edges of the ribs are compressed, there is a slightmovement outward until the vertical faces of the ribs appear undercut.

This movement lis dueto the long angle of the faces of the ribs on theinner sides and the vertical faces on the outer sides. The treadportions 25 also perform the function of contacting the inking rollerand the pressure roller through rthe paper, hereinafter described, indriving them during the printing operation.

The tires 25, 25 also have V-shaped grooves 28, 28 in their sidesoppositely disposed and inwardly opening and extending partiallytherearound, within which the ends of U-shaped type slots 29,23' areadapted to be received and held during the printing operation. Thesetype slots 29, 29 have type such as 30, 33, with quads 3l, 3| beingprovided to hold the type mounted therein, the type and quads being madepreferably of rubber or the like, and of the character and kinddescribed and claimed in Patent No. 2,041,499 of May 19, 1936. The endsof the U-shaped type slots 29, 29 are V-shaped to correspond to thecontour of the grooves 28, 28 in the sides of the tires, with the typeslots being of sufficient length to fit snugly in the tires and aboutthe periphery of the cylinder 22. These type slots 29, 29 are placed inposition on the cylinder by simply exing the tires toward the outer endsof the cylinder and inserting the slots in the grooves 28, 28 in thesides of the tires, so that they are held in printing position upon thecylinder 22 and may be easily and quickly removed in the same Amanner.

An inking roller 32 is provided having the usual fabric or ink retainingmember 33 thereon of substantially the same width as the length of thecylinder between the tires. The inking roller 32 is mounted on a bellcrank axle 34 in the side members ill and l I, respectively, andterminating in a crank portion 35 having an inturned portion 355vadapted to be received and held between struckup portions 3l, 3l in theframe member it. The inking roller 32 has a pair of drums 38, 38 on thecrank portion of the axle 34 so that as the axle 34 is rotated theroller 32 is moved toward or away from the cylinder 22 and held infrictional engagement with the tread portions 26 of the tires so that asthe cylinder 22 is rotated the ink roller 32 is rotated at the sameperipheral travel, thereby inking the faces of the type which are oi' aproper height to press firmly against the inking member 33 and receive asupply of ink therefrom and without smearing the face of the type.

The proper positioning of the inturned portion 36 between the struckupportion 3l of the frame holds the ink roller 32 in proper adjustedposition both with respect to engagement with the tread portions 26 ofthe tires and also to engage the type 3U. The free end of the bell crankaxle 3d has a rubber sleeve 39 tted thereover to hold it in position,the sleeve member being fitted tightly over the end and frictionallyengaging the end of the axle member 34 to hold it in po- -sitio-n in theframe to prevent slipping of this broller 32 so that a plurality oflayers of material are provided to form the ink carrying and retainingmember 33. This member is easily removed irorn the roller 32 if desiredfor purposes of cleaning or supplying a different color ink, or theentire roller can be removed by taking the rubber sleeve 39 off the `endof the axle 34 and drawing this member free of the frame and the entireroller 32 removed from the axle and a new cr diiferent roller placed onthe axle 34.

A pressure roller 4l is mounted upon a crank axle 42 which has a rightangle crank portion 4'3 at one end thereof and terminates in a handleportion 44 which normally in printing position of the pressure rollerextends upwardly in a vertical direction alongside of the side member Iland rests against the sleeve 39 on the free end of the axle 34, beingheld in this position by a spring 5, one end of which is secured to thecrank porytion 43 of the axle 42 and the other end anchored `lines 5i,til of to a pin 46 mounted'in the side frame member il The spring l5 yisunder tension in two positions, one ras described when the pressureroller is inoperative position with respect to the cylinder las showninFigure 2, and in inoperative po.-

ysiti-on with the pressure roller 4'I lowered as shown in Figure 5, andout of engagement with the cylinder 32. VWhen they lever 44 is turned toinoperative position the crank `portion is beyond the center or the axle132, the handle rests upon a stud iSd in the side member Il and thelever is held in this `position by aspring 45. The eccentric portion oithev axle 42. provides means Awhereby the pressure roller H may rotatefreely` `and at the Sametime provides means for the automatioci'neration of the press with respect to thickness of paper, fromy thinsheets to cardboard, with the printing pressure kept constant`throughout thisrange of thickness. in Figure 3, the tires are spacedupward from the table a suicient distance to allow for the insertion`or" any paper, however thick, anda constant uniform pressure ismaintained by the spring t5 .on the paper during the printing operation,regardless of its thickness. As the press is rotated forthe purpose ofinki-ng the type, the

ressure roller is lowered so itis clear of the type so asto preventinking the roller when paper is vnot fed throughthe press.

`In operation of the devicetype and type slots 2t .of the iorrn shown inPatent No.` 2,041,499 are used, with the exception that the type slotsare pointed at each of their ends' to vfit into position in thegroovesiii of the tires as heretofore de-` scribed, around the periphery of theprinting cylinder 22. .ln addition to the kind of type shown anddescribed in the above named patent,

as shown..

vcharacters or the like, as may be desired. Also a pliuality of quads,such as 3i, maybe provided having face cemented or otherwise securedthereto,` on whichrnay be a pictorial illustration, a comic character,or `any other attention directingor arresting illustration, which may befitted into the combination to make the printing more attractive ordesirable. i The cylinder 22 is calibrated yvii-th lines 5i), 59extending the length of the cylinder andother lessor length placed`midway between the lines 5t, the spacing of the lines 5t, til beingsuch that when translated to the printed sheet they represent one-halfinchland the shorter line..` Ptit, 5i represent cnemquarter inch. Thisprovidesan accurate means of scaling the layout for the printedmaterial. The type bars may ,be place in slightly angular positiony onthe face of the cylinder toiorm lines of printng diagonally on ytheprinted page for attention directing or grotesque presentation ifdesired. u

The inking roller 32 has had the ink carryingv As shown vthe type, as

lthe press.

, i y operation described ,above 1s repeated as citen `as'i'cay bedesired, with,l of course, the necessary `occasion may demand in orderto `l-egibility of the printing.`

Both the type and theouads are preferably of A5 ,rubber or some otherresilient material' similar it to function properly, the lever 44 ismoved into the position shown' in Figure 2 of the drawings,

Vthus bringing the pressure roller it up in printing Vposititui asshownlin Figure 3, The cylinder 22 `is rotated to a point just short of wherethe tread 5 portions of the tires are about to engage the inking roller,in which position the opposite ends 52, ill? ci the tread portions ofthetires are slightly behind and abut against the pressure roller M toies f pre srre roller secures accurae registry of the J5 the press, andaiso enables accurate stry oi the paper Yif it is desired to print intwo or more colors by running the paper through the 1re-ss after theinning roller has 5 been d and a different type set-up made.

Tle paper which the printing isto be. done is plat. d on the forwardplate itand slipped vunanic .And turns the cylinder in a ise direction;rotated the tread portions of the tires engage iirst the inking relie ndcause it torotate, inking it passes downward engagesthe paper over thepressure roller. At the same time the forward line of type comes paper,the pressure roller ii `forming also an impression base for the type asit passes over the paper, so that as the, cylinder is rotated the paper`in eiiect is pulled between the roller Kil,

which thus acts both as` a" feed and a pressure 153.5 roller. Theprinted paper is carried'throughover the rear plate i8 between theguides 2i, 2i pro-` vided thereoinjand ejected at the back side of Forother impressions the cycle of o; antityof ink beine' added totheinl-ring roll as sempre'` proper thereto, and various l'rinds and sizesof type'can provided, with various miscellaneous characters, quads andthe'lilre, sothat endless amounts produced on the small press at minimumof `cost exceedingly cheap in operatien,` ,both in cost of the and thematerials `its operation. l.

While we have described more or less preciselyilk usedin details oiconstruction, We do not wish to'be` understood as limiting' ourselvesthereto, as, weV contemplate changes in orrn and, the proportion oi`parts and the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest`or render erpedientti Without departing from the spirit or scope ci'our invention. l

We claim: l

l. A hand printing press comprising, in` combination, a pair `of sidemembers, cross plates 65 secured thereto `forming a bed for thepress, acylinder' rotatably mounted in said side mem.-

, bers,'ari inking roller rotatably mounted in said side members andmovable relative to said cylinder,and impression Iroller rotatablymounted in saidfframemand movable with respect to said cylinder,flexible tires on` said cylinder having 'I treadportions thereon, typeguides on said` cylin` der held in position by the said tires', and typein said guides, the tread portion of the said tires stops for the paperto be insertedin `the '.10

As the cylinder is @51.5

in Contact with `L' acting as frictional drive means for the inkingroller and the impression roller.

2. A hand printing press comprising, in combination, a pair of sidemembers, cross plates secured thereto forming a bed for the press, acylinder rotatably mounted in said side members, an inking rollerrotatably mounted in said side members and movable relative to saidcylinder, an impression roller rotatably mounted in said frame andmovable with respect to said cylinder, flexible tires on said cylinderhaving tread portions thereon, type guides on said cylinder held inposition by the said tires, and type in said guides, .the tread portionof the said tires acting as frictional drive means for the inking rollerand the impression roller and for holding the paper in at position onthe bed of the press.

3. A hand printing press comprising, in combination, a pair of sidemembers, cross plates secured thereto forming a bed for the press, acylinder rotatably. mounted in said side members, an inking 'rollerrotatably mounted in said side members and movable relative to saidcylinder, an impression roller rotatably mounted in said frame andmovable with respect to said cylinder, flexible tires on said cylinderhaving tread portions thereon, type guides on said cylinder held vinposition by the said tires, and type in said guides, the tread portionof the said tires acting as frictional drive means for vthe inkingroller and the impression roller and having offset ends whereby to actas paper stops for the positioning `of the paper in the press.

'and rotatably mounted with respect to the said cylinder, and animpression roller rotatably and movably mounted with respect to the saidcylinder.

5. A hand operated printing press comprising, in combination, a frame, acylinder rotatably mounted in the said frame, exible tires on each endof the said cylinder having tread portions extending partiallytherearound, the tread portions having circumferentially extending ribs`thereon with respect to said tread portions, the tires having oppositelydisposed V-shaped channels in the sides thereof, type guides on saidcylinder having V-shaped ends mounted in the channels in the said tires,type in said guides, an inking roller movably and rotatably mounted withrespect to the said cylinder, and an impression roller rotatably andmovably mounted with respect to `the said cylinder.

6. A hand operated printing press comprising, in combination, a frame, acylinder rotatably mounted in the said frame, iexible tires on each endoi the said cylinder having tread portions extending partiallytherearound, the tread portions having circumferentially extending ribsthereon with `respect to said tread portions, the tires havingoppositely disposed channels in the sides thereof, type guides on-saidcylinder having their ends mounted in the channels in the said tires,type in said guides, aninking roller movably and rotatably mounted withrespect to the said cylinder, and an impression roller rotatably andmovably mounted With respect to the said cylinder, the said inking andimpression rollars ybeing intermittently operable by the tread portionsof the said tires.

7 A hand operated printing press comprising, in combination, a frame, acylinder rotatably mounted in the said frame, flexible tires on each endof the said cylinder having tread portions extending partiallytherearound, the tread portions having circumferentially extending andoutwardly and oppositely disposed ribs thereon with respect to saidtread portions, the tires having oppositely disposed channels in thesides thereof, type guides on said cylinder having their ends mounted inthe channels in the said tires, type in said guides, an inking rollermovaby and rotatably mounted with respect to the sa1d cylinder, and animpression roller rotatably and movably mounted with respect to the saidcylinder, the said inking and impression rollers' being intermittentlyoperable by the tread portions of the said tires. i

8. A hand operated printing press comprising, in combination, a frame, acylinder rotatably mounted in the said frame, exible tires on each endof the said cylinder having tread portions extending partiallytherearound, the tread portions having circumferentially extending ribsthereon with respect to said tread portions, the

said ribs having vertical faces on their outer sides andI diagonallyextending faces on their opposite sides, the tires having oppositelydisposed channels in the sides thereof, type guides on said cylinderhaving their ends mounted in the Channels in the said tires, type insaid guides, an inking roller movably and rotatably mounted with respectto the said cylinder, and an impression roller rotatably and movablymounted with respect to the said cylinder, the said inking andimpression rollers being intermittently operable by the tread portionsof the said tires.

JUSTIN R. SWIFT. ROY W. REDIN.

lil-

